The.com Launches to Modernize Website Building Towards a More Collaborative & Composable Web

The.com emerged from stealth today to enable website creators to build, collaborate, and earn credit for their work. Underpinned by a novel framework, The.com is modernizing website creation towards a low-code, collaborative, and more composable web. Through a community-built marketplace of website Blocks, creators can reclaim hours of time by using and sharing existing components. 

To see a video of how The.com works, go to The.com/editor. 

Over the last decade, the Internet has evolved into a shared platform, despite rigid structures confining users to basic site builders, social media, and hard-coding. Now, with the welcoming of a more decentralized web, creators are eager to break out of those rigid molds and work in a more collaborative and flexible environment.
 
“Traditional web page building was time-consuming, rigid, and not built to maximize creativity,” says Co-founder Jeff McKinnon. “With The.com, creators can now unleash their superpowers and share them with others all while earning credit.” Co-founder Clarke McKinnon adds, “The web deserves a collaborative platform where the leading website creators can build exactly what they want and stamp their name on it.”

Building with blocks

With The.com, designers, developers, and web-savvy individuals build and own the web through Blocks — reusable components such as buttons, footers, and navigation bars. Blocks are highly-customizable units for web projects; foundational pieces created to be shared, remixed, and repurposed. The ability to source existing blocks serves as a springboard for inspiration, where builders can dive in and tailor every aspect to fit their exact needs. 

The.com removes the need to begin each project with a time-intensive blank slate or constricting template. Instead, users have the ability to create something bespoke or begin building with existing Blocks. By adding more Blocks, users of The.com can reap the undeniable benefits of real-world collaboration, meaning website work doesn’t have to be final — it can continually be remixed.

“The.com has cracked the code for making web page building a collective experience where creators are finally getting credited properly for their contributions to the web,” said Harry Stebbings, founder of 20VC, the $140M fund and world’s largest independent venture capital podcast. “With all the talk of web3, this is an important step forward in the decentralization of the web.” 

The new building approach has invigorated the web community as creators choose a platform that prioritizes them and their work. Over the last 6 months, The.com has worked with 1,200+ creators to build more than 4,000 websites and 3 million site edits. Collectively, these creators have saved hundreds of hours compared to legacy website-building platforms. The.com is opening the door for popular creators to get paid for their Blocks as the community grows. This has laid the groundwork for creators to showcase the true power of the web: sharing, collaborating, saving time, and earning money.

“The.com has completely changed the way I build websites,” said The.com user and digital design and content creator Brian Giometti. “All the convenience of a well-designed UI and pre-made blocks coupled with the full power of HTML and CSS allows me to be as custom or efficient as I need to be –– and the ability to share and exchange blocks with the community only sweetens the deal further.”

Co-founded by 10-year web building veterans, Clarke McKinnon (Co-CEO) and Jeff McKinnon (Co-CEO) as a result of their experience building thousands of sites. The.com offers a simple pricing model, including free draft sites. The company is backed with $4.4M in seed funding, led by NFX with participation from Sound Ventures, VSC Ventures, Village Global, 20VC’s Harry Stebbings, LDR Ventures, Darius Contractor, Toy Ventures, and Jay Parikh.

Join the community of creators already collaborating and accelerating their build times, sign-up, and create your first site for free at The.com. 

About The.com

The.com was founded in 2019 by a team of serial founders and leading web developers in Boulder, Colorado. Born out of years of frustration with the way the Internet works, what started as a radical idea is now a refined product that The.com’s team wished they had years ago. Paving the way so other creators don’t have to, the company offers a revolutionary new way to create, build, own and manage IP through the use of and remix of Blocks. For more information, visit The.com

Contact Information

Natalie Bartels

Media Contact

VSC for The.com

The.com@vsc.co